Bad at games that require paying attention to others

[Libecht]

Last weekend I was at a small party. I was invited to play a little game. The exact rules don't really matter, but basically each player tries to find cards that match his cards from the card deck as quickly as possible. Whoever finishes first would touch his nose, and the rest should also touch their noses right away. The last one loses. It's pretty simple. Just look for cards while keeping an eye on other players.
However, as soon as the game started, I completely forgot the second part. I was so focused on matching my cards that I was totally unaware long after everyone else touched their noses.
This has happened to me several times. Card games, board games, basically games that require paying attention to others while doing my own tasks. However complicated strategic online games work just fine to me.
I was wondering if anyone has similar experience, and what part of Asperger's causes it.

 

[AGXStarseed]

Last weekend I was at a small party. I was invited to play a little game. The exact rules don't really matter, but basically each player tries to find cards that match his cards from the card deck as quickly as possible. Whoever finishes first would touch his nose, and the rest should also touch their noses right away. The last one loses. It's pretty simple. Just look for cards while keeping an eye on other players.
However, as soon as the game started, I completely forgot the second part. I was so focused on matching my cards that I was totally unaware long after everyone else touched their noses.
This has happened to me several times. Card games, board games, basically games that require paying attention to others while doing my own tasks. However complicated strategic online games work just fine to me.
I was wondering if anyone has similar experience, and what part of Asperger's causes it.

I can relate somewhat to when me and my brother use to play games together on the PS2. On games where you can play together (such as LEGO Star Wars) I would try to work together with my brother but would end up focusing on my own character when it came to collecting items; much to my brother's annoyance if he tried to go one way and I tried to go another.

 

[Gritches]

It's a problem with split attention. It's an Aspie-specific problem, though I don't believe it's consequential that the others were humans as opposed to say, a light that blinks on.

Split attention is one reason so many Aspies have trouble with/dislike driving. There's so much to pay attention to all at the same time. It's related in a way to multitasking. On the whole, we prefer to hyperfocus on one task at a time, which to our credit we usually perform superbly.

I dealt with split attention when I raided in World of Warcraft. Focusing on keeping hair-trigger reactivity to my health bars while still maintaining perfect spatial awareness was extremely difficult. I had to adapt using sounds for the spatial awareness stuff.

 

[Sashiengland]

I like playing games. The only ones I don't like are ones I can't play with just me, myself, and I. My competitor is myself. I don't have to contend with the pressure of processing and following verbal instructions. I don't have to worry that I will come off looking awkward or inept. The small part of my brain tells me that no one is perfect at the game; to enjoy playing but that small part seldom wins me over. On the positive, since learning I had Asperger's, I have become more physically active I am playing by myself but I am getting exercise that helps both my body and mind.